The prime minister said the contract price was being determined at the moment.

“I have asked the transport minister (Liow Tiong Lai) to determine the contract price and to expedite the matter.

“I propose to launch the project on my next visit to Sandakan,” he told reporters after a tour of the Sandakan Harbour Square here.

Najib said the runway extension would enable the airport to handle bigger aircraft such as the Airbus 330 as well as direct or chartered flights from China.

“The terminal building will remain untouched. We will only focus on the runway extension,” he said.

Najib said the extension of the runway would make Sandakan more progressive and boost it’s economy as the district would be able to receive more tourists and other visitors.